Vassar Haiti Project

The time has finally come! Our group of March trippers is ready to hike up the mountain to Chermaitre. Here are their thoughts as they prepare for another five days of adventure in the rural village.

Andrew:  The group is doing so well, being super supportive of one another and soaking in experience after experience.  Now comes the glorious ascent to Chermaitre!

Sam: I’m already sweating from places I didn’t think could sweat, but at least I don’t have to worry since it’s inevitable.

Grace: Last night I had the best rice… the only problem is I put sugar instead of salt.

Sophia: This is the day we have all been waiting for! Today we hike the mountain to Chermaitre. It’s time to sweat, chat, laugh, and to get through it all together.

Lila: What a privilege it is to be with such an amazing group of students! I am so lucky! Each moment I am always blown away by their passion, energy and commitment to put positive change in our world. Haiti is a great teacher.

Alan: Standing at the base of the mountain, I hope to channel the strength of the Haitian people.

Phebe: The first few days have been incredible. The whole group is full of love and laughter making every moment entertaining and enjoyable. Today we are heading to Chermaitre and it feels surreal that this moment is so close. The Vassar Haiti Project is coming to life each day and I can’t wait to see Chermaitre in order to complete the vision.

Gabi: Days after arriving in Haiti, we have experienced enough sights and sounds for it to feel like we’ve been here for a week instead of three days. It has been overwhelming at times, particularly in the chaotic intensity of street art markets, where all of the artists, vendors and colorful paintings were competing for our attention. Nonetheless, I’ve been having a wonderful time over the past couple of days. It has been educational and inspiring to hold conversations with members of women’s co-ops, and an incredible amount of fun teaching a group of village children how to dance to silly children’s songs. I have loved learning more about the Haitian people, becoming more comfortable with holding a conversation with them in Creole, absorbing the sights of the city, and now, the green landscapes and mountains of rural Haiti.

Manning: It has been only three days but it feels like way more than that. I have been chatting a lot with Lila, Andrew, Jaqueline and our Haitian friends about what the meaning of life is. After all the earth could disappear tomorrow, it would not change the universe in the slightest way. Indeed, life has no meaning, UNTIL you put meaning to it. It could be friends, parents, children, a railroad you build, a company you found… It all depends on you – happiness is a choice. For now, to me, it is about making an impact on those around you. When I hugged every child during this journey, I am only expanding the circle around me to spread my warm disposition to. Altruism is difficult and people always (unfortunately) look for ways to gain something out of it. Perhaps if we find happiness in what we do, that is the best form of altruism in the world. That is what makes VHP wonderful – when happiness is shared, it is doubled.

Sabrina: Being in Haiti has opened my eyes to the untapped beauty of the world. These three days have shown me that happiness is its own entity; it is not linked to money or objects. Happiness is the joy that people you love give you, the laughter that fills the streets, the smiles and bonjours spoken to strangers. People in Haiti may not have much but that does not limit their love and appreciation for life. I am breathless from the welcomes I have received here. Yesterday, we met six kids and I think I speak for all of the trippers when I say we fell in love. I am horrible at speaking Kreyol and French but that did not matter because gestures, facial expressions and emotions are universal. Smiles shared went from nervous to joyous in a matter of minutes. Love and happiness have become shaded from other unimportant things in life. Haiti is allowing me to see this and appreciate everything I have and accept what I don’t have.

Daniel: It’s been two full days of adventure and I love all of it. We were on the road for most of the day and it was an opportunity to bond with fellow trippers and the adults in the car. It was also an opportunity to observe the cities and the landscapes and one thing is constant – Haiti never stops moving; from the number of people on the streets all day to the loud noise of the trucks late at night, there is an energy that every outsider has to tap into. We visited a primary school and a women’s co-op, Peacequilts, yesterday and we heard about the ways the co-op was run and we also interacted with the kids (shout-out to Estelle). The kids danced gracefully, laughed in ways that evoked pure joy and just reminded me of ambition, of dreams, of love for learning and of having an open heart for people. We continued our road trip, the landscape was as beautiful as ever. At VHP’s art sales, I had wondered why there were a lot of landscape paintings, but in a country like this, why won’t one want to recreate the beautiful sunset and lush, green landscape on an easel? We got ice-cream after and then continued our journey, this time along a ‘bibi di bop di bop’/very bumpy road. After arriving at the hotel and getting rest, we are all prepared for our hike up the mountain to Chermaitre. I hope my two workout sessions before the trip really pay off today. I love every single, little, teeny, tiny, inch-size, minute bit of this trip. So, BLESS!

Udbhav: These three days in Haiti have been transformative. There are moments of reflection, of guilt, of apathy, of empathy- and above all- of questioning each and every fabric of my being. The lies that I have told myself about what matters and what doesn’t. The truths that I have sieved along the way. Everything has been stirred up into a state of flux. It’s a re-invigorating feeling -to convince myself of my purpose- and for that I am forever grateful.

Christine: Being in Haiti is non-stop movement and energy. Every day is four days packed into one as we travel across the bumpy roads, flying up and down in the seats of our cars. It’s curious though that even though we’re all exhausted and drained, the smiles can’t leave our faces. We’ve bonded so much as a team through all the crazy adventures and experiences we’ve encountered, which, in turn, just makes us so much stronger and enthusiastic as a group, ready to take on each new challenge. More than anything though, I appreciate how open and inviting everyone­ is to each new experience and person we meet on our journey. I’m so grateful to be a part of the community we’ve built.